Character Index | Proverb Index

The Bat and The Weasels

A Bat fell, was caught by a Weasel, and pleaded to be spared. The Weasel refused, saying that he was by nature the enemy of all birds. The Bat assured him he was not a bird, but a mouse and was set free.

The Bat was later caught by a second Weasel and again pleaded to be spared. The Weasel refused, saying he was the enemy of all mice. The Bat assured him he was not a mouse, but a bird and was again set free.

Townsend version

A Bat who fell upon the ground and was caught by a Weasel pleaded to be spared his life. The Weasel refused, saying that he was by nature the enemy of all birds. The Bat assured him that he was not a bird, but a mouse, and thus was set free. Shortly afterwards the Bat again fell to the ground and was caught by another Weasel, whom he likewise entreated not to eat him. The Weasel said that he had a special hostility to mice. The Bat assured him that he was not a mouse, but a bat, and thus a second time escaped.

Moral

It is wise to turn circumstances to good account.

L'Estrange version

A weazle had seiz'd upon a bat, and the bat begg'd for life. No, no, says the weazle, I give no quarter to birds. Ay (says the bat) but I'm a mouse you see; look on my body else: and so she got off for that bout. The same bat had the fortune to be taken a while after by another weazle; and there the poor bat was forc'd to beg for mercy once again. No, says the weazle, no mercy to a mouse. Well (says t'other) but you may see by my wings that I'm a bird; and so the bat scap'd in both capacities, by playing the trimmer.

Moral

Trimming in some cases, is foul, and dishonest; in others, laudable; and in some again, not only honest, but necessary. The nicety lies in the skill of distinguishing upon cases, times, and degrees.

[Trimmer = A person who arranges things in a manner necessary for them to work.]
[Trimming = The act of arranging things in a manner necessary for them to work.]

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